Prohibition: Measure to Ban BZP Moving in Colorado Legislature

In an example of legislative reflex response similar to that around salvia divinorum, legislators in Colorado are moving to ban the designer drug N-benzylpiperazine, better known as BZP, despite little evidence presented of its dangers. The measure has already made its way through the House, and won a Senate committee vote Tuesday.

BZP is a controlled substance under federal law, but no states have yet moved against it. The DEA reports no known deaths from BZP, but has reported cases of users suffering psychotic episodes or seizures.

In a 2005 review, the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) reported that BZP has subjective effects similar to amphetamines and thus potential for abuse and dependency, but noted that BZP dependency levels are reported as low in New Zealand, where the drug is quite popular.

The EMCDDA reported seizures in rats at high doses when BZP was taken along with another piperazine, and reports of seizures in humans. "This finding is based on a very small number of cases," the agency noted.

The measure, HB 1157, has already passed the House and passed the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. It has now been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"We are taking the right steps to ensure this drug stays off our streets and out of our schools," said Sen. Mike Kopp (R-Littleton), who is leading the push. "The time is now to give law enforcement the tools they need to go after these drug offenders."

Only two votes were cast against the measure in the judiciary committee. One came from Sen. Evie Hudak (D-Aurora), who cast doubt on the wisdom of the prohibitionist reflex.

"I was hoping that we would go in the opposite direction, that of decriminalizing drugs and other nonviolent offenses, and providing drug treatment, community corrections, proactive community supervision, etc., Hudak told the Denver Daily News. She added that she was not convinced the drug was dangerous.

"The fact that some young people have been found to be in possession of the drug, albeit in a form that is similar to other drugs of abuse -- such as a colored pill shaped like Bart Simpson -- is not enough evidence that the drug is dangerous," continued Hudak. "The testimony indicated that the drug has been consumed at concerts -- that alone is not evidence that the drug is dangerous."

But Hudak's was a lonely voice of reason in Denver.